ISRI’s PSI chapter selects 2019 scholarship recipients

For the second year in a row, the Paper Stock Industries (PSI), a national chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, selected eight college-bound students as winners in its annual academic scholarship program. Each student will receive $2,000 to apply toward tuition at any regionally accredited two-year or four-year post-secondary school for the 2019-2020 academic year.

This year’s scholarship winners, their sponsoring chapter member company and the school they will attend are as follows:

• Declan Blair; WestRock, Norcross, Georgia; Kennesaw State University
• Rebecca Bordelon; Graphic Packaging International, West Monroe, Louisiana; Louisiana State University
• Amber Keomany; Graphic Packaging International, Fort Smith, Arkansas; University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Fernanda Montoya; Midland Davis Corp., Moline, Illinois; Northern Illinois University
• Madison Nyhuis; Padnos, Holland, Michigan; Western Michigan University
• Julian Saldana; WestRock, Fresno, California; University of California San Diego
• Heidi Westra; Resource Management Co., Chicago Ridge, Illinois; Calvin College
• Emily Woodin; Graphic Packaging International, Kalamazoo, Michigan; Western Michigan University

To apply for a PSI Chapter scholarship, applicants must have a C+ average or better in high school, meet all admission qualifications at the two-year or four-year post-secondary school of their choice and be a dependent of an individual who has been employed for at least one year by a company that is a current active member of ISRI and the PSI chapter. The employee must work in the recycling division of the member company and the applicant cannot be a dependent of a company officer or principal, PSI says in a news release.

In addition to completing a PSI chapter scholarship application, applicants must submit an official transcript of their high school grades, SAT or ACT scores, two letters of recommendation, a résumé of their personal history and an essay.

PSI supports its academic scholarships through raffles, donations and an annual fundraising event. This year’s event, PSI Palooza, is scheduled for Oct. 23 from 8 to 11 p.m. at Lucky Strike Chicago. The tournament will be held in conjunction with Recycling Today Media Group’s MRF Operations Forum Oct. 21-22 and the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference Oct. 23-25 in Chicago.

Disbursements for the PSI chapter scholarships are made through the nonprofit Recycling Research Foundation.